[Sponsored] Few would dispute that learning a second language aids in students’ critical thinking skills, free-thinking, creativity, and mental flexibility, but the study of Mandarin in particular affords students at BASIS Independent Schools special gains. Mandarin introduces our students to the most widely spoken tonal language in the world that operates with different stress and intonation patterns than English.
Researchers have found that learning Mandarin develops new pathways not only in the left temporal lobe of the brain in native English speakers, but in fact utilizes both temporal lobes. Given the emphasis on ordering, grouping, and distinguishing between similarities and differences in character writing and intonation, Mandarin causes students to stretch their mathematical abilities.
Our Mandarin curriculum is deeply academic with students walking away with concrete language acquisition in the early years, and our Mandarin teachers have an uncanny ability to get every student excited about the language.
“With the help of images, we teach students the target language in the target language instead of encouraging translation from the native language,” explained Ms. Fan,founding BASIS Independent Brooklyn Mandarin faculty member. “Students start speaking long complex sentences at their very first lesson. The images become self-explanatory, and they become intuitive learners. Also, in my classroom, music is an important part of learning and uses the same method – the lyrics are all represented by images as well so while students are singing the songs, they also understand the lyrics.”
The Mandarin program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn extends beyond language instruction to cultural enrichment. School-wide Lunar New Year celebrations feature classes performing fan and dragon dances. Cultural aspects of our Mandarin instruction include Chinese calligraphy, painting, and analyzing Chinese movies.BASIS Independent students are required to study Mandarin through fourth grade. In the Middle School years, children can continue with their Mandarin studies or pick another language to study.
Find out more about the language program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn and Manhattan. Join us at an upcoming information session and meet our faculty, staff and current parents. Visit our website today.
This series is brought to you by BASIS Independent Schools as a sponsored series for A Child Grows in Brooklyn. Read their previous posts on ‘Learning to Love Science’, ‘Where the Arts Flourish‘, ‘Subject and Learning Expert Teacher Model’ and ‘The Power of Making Connections.”